March 11, (THEWILL) – The Speaker of Taraba State House of Assembly, Professor Joseph Albasu Kunini, has expressed concerns over the increasing cases of ritual killings in the country, calling for joint efforts to curb the menace before it is too late.
Kunini, who made this call while interacting with journalists on Thursday, made reference to the recent gruesome murder of 22-year-old Oluwabamise Ayanola.
The Speaker noted that the cases of these despicable crimes have become topics of daily discussions, even as the number of innocent victims have continued to rise.
He said that the inability of society to provide the enabling environment for young people to explore the right means of livelihood, has driven a lot of youth in the country to tread unspeakable paths.
Kunini, condoling with the family of slain Bamise and other families that have lost their loved ones to this growing menace of killing said;
“The death of a loved one is something painful and when it happens under such circumstances, I understand that the pain could be unbearable. That is why we must all rise and condemn this ugly trend with all intent and purpose.
“As much as society has failed, especially the younger generation in so many ways, I still believe that there are a lot of young people who are earning healthy means of livelihood through harnessing their creative ingenuity.
“As a country, we must also be able to check and verify people’s sources of wealth, rather than celebrating and glorifying wealth irrespective of its sources. We live in a society where someone who is a peasant farmer or a fresh graduate, without any reasonable trade or work, wakes up one day and is displaying wealth and no one questions it. In fact, we embrace them, celebrate them and reward them with juicy Chieftaincy titles.
“This is by all means encouraging other young people to do anything to make money, because it seems everything is now about money. Sadly, the new media has made it very easy for people to access dangerous information that pushes them to try things that should never be in the public domain.”
The Speaker called on Nigerians and relevant authorities to remain vigilant, even as the general elections approaches.
“As we prepare for the next general election, which is already around the corner, I call on all the relevant authorities and the communities to be vigilant and protect the lives of the people, especially the women folk, who seem to be the main victims. We must begin to celebrate the right virtues and subject suspicious wealth to critical scrutiny.
“Family names should be taught to matter more than wealth. I call on the National Orientation Agency to step up a deliberate campaign to provide a paradigm shift in our disposition towards unmerited wealth and to correct our priorities.
“Families should also pay more attention to the moral development of their children and wards and to create time to spend with the children and enlighten them on the right guiding principles”, he advised.
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